There’s trouble for newly crowned Miss World Fiji: first she gets flack for her age (she’s sixteen years old), and now she’s being slammed for her racial background. Torika Watters, the contest winner of mixed European and Fijian heritage, has drawn ire from nativists who say she’s not Fijian enough. Nasty comments left on the Facebook site (since deleted) also included attacks on her hair, which critics say should be worn in the naturally fuzzy “buiniga” style. Perhaps ironically, portraits of the five full-blooded Fijian runners-up in the pageant on the FB site feature them wearing current “pageant” hairstyles. The News Tribe. Miss World Fiji 2012 Facebook Site.
- More trouble in Pageant Land: Carlina Duran, the newly crowned Miss Dominican Republic, must give back her crown because she has been married. The 25-year old, who was married in 2009, has since stated that she is in the process of getting an annulment, and lives as a single woman. But pageant rules clearly state that a contestant must not be married – you’ve got to be available, ladies! International Business Times.
- How to succeed in business? Bribery helps, unless you get caught. Avon Products has been investigating allegations of bribery following a 2005 report that suggested that employees were bribing Chinese officials. The U.S Securities and Exchange Commission and the Justice Department are also involved, looking into whether the company executives turned a blind eye to the report. Five executives have been fired since January of this year, and a sixth, group vice president Kerry Carr, has left the company this week. Ms. Carr, who was head of internal audit from 2003 to August 2005, declined to comment on the departure through her lawyer. The Wall Street Journal.
- A study funded by an upscale clothing manufacturer in England found that women over 35 have more confidence in their personal style and beauty image than when they were younger. UK’s Daily Mail also attributes mature confidence to “mastering the perfect roast dinner”. Good thing Nigella Lawson made the Top Ten List in the article, or we’d be really confused… The Daily Mail.
- A Swiss woman had died following an attempt to live as a “Breatharian”. After seeing a documentary film about 83-year-old Indian yogi Prahlad Jani, who claims to have lived for 70 years without food or water, the unnamed woman decided to try to live entirely on sunlight, having also read a book by Australian breatharian Jasmuheen, and starved to death. Wild Beauty editorial comment: there may be (or not) yogis who can do this stuff in the Himalayas, but this is not the South Beach Diet. Don’t try this at home, kids! Herald Sun.
Pack your bags: and head to the Czech Republic, where you can take a beer and mineral bath at Chodovar Beer Wellness Land. The spa, which is part of a family brewery, offers treatments based on local mineral water, hops, and malt. Their dark beer and mineral bath is reputed to help with psoriasis and acne, as well as being very relaxing. They also offer a “drinking cure”, which is based upon the mineral water they use to brew their beer, but if you’re looking to try a more escapist “drinking cure”, they also offer tours of the brewery. Chodovar Beer Wellness Land.
